DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 02: Jamie Benn #14 of the Dallas Stars celebrates his goal with Tyler Seguin #91 in front of Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens in the first period at American Airlines Center on January 2, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Stars beat writer Mike Heika held a chat Tuesday. Here are some highlights.

Question: Long season right? Last three games are just one of those things right?

Heika: Yes and no. The Stars are chasing that elusive wild card playoff spot, so they can't really have long stretches of bad play. This has been a challenging stretch, and it has revealed some holes in the Stars' way of doing things. They are a team that lives on the line of risk, and their speed can both help them and hurt them. If they can't find a consistent way to make the speed an advantage, then there could be some growing pains coming up. It's an important time of the year for this team, with a very hectic schedule.

Question: So the Stars go up 2-0 after the first against the Islanders, then get outscored 7-1. What the heck happened?

Heika: Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. The Stars are a small, fast team, and they have used that speed to attack the opposition and keep the puck out of their own end. They create speed through the neutral zone, and then carry that speed into the offensive zone. That means the small defensemen don't have to stay in their own end and defend the opposing team's cycle. When they give up turnovers in the neutral zone, then they have to defend, and things can break down. Mix that with an inability to win 50-50 pucks, and the result wasn't that surprising.

Question: Lindy Ruff said Monday's loss might have been the worst game the team has played this year. Do you agree or disagree?

Heika: I agree with a caveat. The opening night loss to Florida was awful, and the two losses at Anaheim and at LA were also terrible. However, the expectations of that team then were different from the expectations of this team now. This team was supposed to be smarter than that. This team was supposed to be a little more mature. The Stars were run out of the rink by a mediocre Islanders team, and that has to be cause for concern. That's why this loss seems worse.

Question: Allowing 18 goals in three games is very unnerving. Have most of the goals been quality, or have there been an abundance of rebound or fluky goals?

Heika: There were a couple of fluky ones in there, but there were also plays by the opposition to beat the defensemen, forwards and goalies that were very pretty. Bottom line, the opposition earned these goals. This run isn't a fluke, the Stars earned the losses.

Question: What do other teams think of Connaughton? He seems like a gem.

Heika: I like his skill, I like his moxie. But he needs some experience to better find the proper way to walk the line of risk-reward.

Question: It's a great honor, but shouldn't we be wishing out Olympians were resting for the final playoff push towards the end of the season, or does the Olympic break not take that much of a toll on a guy like Kari?

Heika: No, I think they need to go. The debate on the need to succeed this year vs. the need for long-term success can certainly include the Olympics. Jamie Benn needs to go be around the caliber of player that will be with Team Canada. Val Nichushkin can benefit greatly just being around the Russian greats. And Kari Lehtonen needs to go fight for Olympic ice time with two very good goalies in Tuukka Rask and Antti Niemi. And if he gets in, Lehtonen needs to play under the heavy pressure that is the Olympics. It might hurt him this year, but it will help him in the long-term to get to be the player the Stars need him to be. So, if you get a tired goalie in March who is much wiser and more experienced, I think that's a fair trade-off.

Question: Do you think Jamie Benn will perform better, worse, or the same since he made the Olympic team?

Heika: Bob Gainey always contended that Mike Modano really started to understand what it takes to be a winner when he participated with Team USA at the 1996 World Cup, and I see Jamie Benn the same way. He might think he knows what's needed, but to go spend a couple of weeks with that group of players and coaches will be a fantastic experience. I'm not 100 percent sure how it will affect him this season, but my guess is it will make him a better performer. So, yes, check the "better'' box and put a smiley face next to it.

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